Editing Greta Garbo (section)

== Legacy ==
Garbo was an international movie star during the late silent era and the "[[Golden Age of Hollywood|Golden Age]]" of Hollywood who became a screen icon.{{sfn|Paris|1994|p=4}}{{sfn|Vieira|2005|p=6}} For most of her career, Garbo was the highest-paid star at Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, making her for many years the studio's "premier prestige star".{{sfn|Vieira|2005|p=7}}{{sfn|Swenson|1997|p=406}} After her death, the ''[[Los Angeles Times]]'' published an obituary calling her "the most alluring, vibrant and yet aloof character to grace the motion-picture screen."<ref>{{Cite web |title=Greta Garbo |url=https://projects.latimes.com/hollywood/star-walk/greta-garbo/ |access-date=2022-08-27 |website=[[Los Angeles Times]] |language=en |archive-date=17 May 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220517143406/https://projects.latimes.com/hollywood/star-walk/greta-garbo/ |url-status=live }}</ref> The April 1990 ''[[The Washington Post|Washington Post]]'' obituary said that "at the peak of her popularity, she was a virtual cult figure."{{sfn|Barnes|1990}}

Garbo possessed a subtlety and naturalism in her acting that set her apart from other actors and actresses of the period.<ref name="vance">Vance, Jeffrey (2005). ''The Mysterious Lady'', The Garbo Silents Collection: Audio commentary, DVD; Disk 1/3. (TCM Archives.)</ref> About her work in silents, film critic [[Ty Burr]] said: "This was a new kind of actor—not the stage actor who had to play to the far seats, but someone who could just look and with her eyes literally go from rage to sorrow in just a close-up."<ref name="AMCBurr">{{Cite video |title=Greta Garbo: A Lone Star |year=2001 |author=Cole, Steve (director) |publisher=[[American Movie Classics]] |medium=Television production |minutes=10:57–11:07.}}</ref>

Film historian [[Jeffrey Vance]] said that Garbo communicated her characters' innermost feelings through her movement, gestures, and, most importantly, her eyes. With the slightest movement of them, he argues, she subtly conveyed complex attitudes and feelings toward other characters and the truth of the situation. "She doesn't act," said ''Camille'' co-star [[Rex O'Malley]], "she lives her roles."{{sfn|Swenson|1997|p=357}} [[Clarence Brown]], who directed seven of Garbo's pictures, told an interviewer, "Garbo has something behind the eyes that you couldn't see until you photographed it in close-up. You could see thought. If she had to look at one person with jealousy, and another with love, she didn't have to change her expression. You could see it in her eyes as she looked from one to the other. And nobody else has been able to do that on screen."<ref>{{Cite news |title=A Century After Her Birth, Greta Garbo's Allure Lives On |url=https://www.chicagotribune.com/2005/10/21/a-century-after-her-birth-greta-garbos-allure-lives-on/ |newspaper=[[Chicago Tribune]] |date=27 October 2005 |first=Swanson |last=Stevenson |access-date=27 September 2013 |archive-date=2 October 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131002144552/http://articles.chicagotribune.com/2005-10-21/features/0510200317_1_greta-garbo-gosta-berling-mauritz-stiller |url-status=live }}</ref> Director [[George Sidney]] adds: "You could call it underplaying, but in underplaying, she overplayed everyone else."<ref name="AMCSidney">{{Cite video |title=Greta Garbo: A Lone Star |year=2001 |author=Cole, Steve (director) |publisher=[[American Movie Classics]] |medium=Television production |minutes=11:26–11:30.}}</ref>

Many critics have said that few of Garbo's 24 Hollywood films are artistically exceptional, and that many are simply bad.{{sfn|Vieira|2005|pp=6–8}} It has been said, however, that her commanding and magnetic performances usually overcome the weaknesses of plot and dialogue.{{sfn|Vieira|2005|pp=6–8}}{{sfn|Barnes|1990}} As one biographer put it, "All moviegoers demanded of a Garbo production was Greta Garbo."{{sfn|Swenson|1997|p=282}}

Film historian [[Ephraim Katz]]: "Of all the stars who have ever fired the imaginations of audiences, none has quite projected a magnetism and a mystique equal to Garbo. 'The Divine', the 'dream princess of eternity', the '[[Sarah Bernhardt]] of films', are only a few of the superlatives writers used in describing her over the years&nbsp;... She played heroines that were at once sensual and pure, superficial and profound, suffering and hopeful, world-weary and life-inspiring."<ref>''The Film Encyclopedia: The Complete Guide to Film and the Film Industry''{{Cite book |first=Ephraim |last=Katz |author-link=Ephraim Katz |title=The Film Encyclopedia: The Complete Guide to Film and the Film Industry |year=1979 |edition=1st |publisher=Thomas Y. Crowell Co |location=New York |page=465 |isbn=978-0-690-01204-0}}</ref>

American film actress [[Bette Davis]]: "Her instinct, her mastery over the machine, was pure witchcraft. I cannot analyze this woman's acting. I only know that no one else so effectively worked in front of a camera."<ref>{{Cite book |first=Bette |last=Davis |title=The Lonely Life |year=1990 |orig-date=1962 |publisher=Berkley Books |location=New York |page=116 |isbn=978-0-425-12350-8}}</ref>

Mexican film actress [[Dolores del Río]]: "The most extraordinary woman (in art) that I have encountered in my life. It was as if she had diamonds in her bones and in her interior light struggled to come out through the pores of her skin."<ref>{{Cite book |last=Hall |first=Linda |title=Dolores del Río: Beauty in Light and Shade |year=2013 |publisher=[[Stanford University Press]] |page=153 |isbn=978-0-8047-8407-8}}</ref>

American film director [[George Cukor]]: "She had a talent that few actresses or actors possess. In close-ups, she gave the impression, the illusion of great movement. She would move her head just a little bit, and the whole screen would come alive, like a strong breeze that made itself felt."<ref>{{Cite book |first=Robert Emmet |last=Long |title=George Cukor: Interviews |year=2001 |publisher=University Press of Mississippi |location=Jackson |series=Conversations with Filmmakers |page=47 |isbn=978-1-57806-387-1}}</ref>

American film actor [[Gregory Peck]]: "If you ask me my favorite actress of all time, I will tell you that it is Greta Garbo. She shared her emotions with the camera and the audience. They were very truthful emotions. To my mind, she was an early practitioner of the Method. She felt everything she did and had the intelligence to go with it. ... And that is the key for the audience. If they believe it, then they've spent a couple of good hours at the cinema."<ref>Peck, Gregory, "Los Angeles Times", November 2000</ref>

American film actress [[Kim Novak]]: "You know, my idol, I idolize Greta Garbo. I just loved her work so much. She was, again, so real. She was not -- to me, she wasn't stylized. You could see any of her work right now. She was just amazing, and what I loved about it also was there was an air of mystery about her work. There was always something more. She didn't give you everything. She held back, and I like that. I probably -- she was my role model."<ref>Larry King Live: Interview with Kim Novak, January 5, 2004</ref>

=== Documentary portrayals ===
Garbo is the subject of several documentaries, including four made in the United States between 1990 and 2005, and one made for the BBC in 1969:
* ''Garbo'' (1969), [[BBC]], written by [[Alexander Walker (critic)]], narrated by [[Joan Crawford]]
* ''The Divine Garbo'' (1990), [[TNT (U.S. TV network)|TNT]], produced by Ellen M. Krass and Susan F. Walker, narrated by [[Glenn Close]]<ref>{{cite news |title=Reviews/Television; A Life of Garbo, Mostly Through Films |first=John J. |last=O'Connor |date=3 December 1990 |newspaper=[[The New York Times]] |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1990/12/03/arts/reviews-television-a-life-of-garbo-mostly-through-films.html |access-date=19 August 2011 |archive-date=31 May 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130531001737/http://www.nytimes.com/1990/12/03/arts/reviews-television-a-life-of-garbo-mostly-through-films.html |url-status=live }}</ref>
* ''Greta Garbo: The Mysterious Lady'' (1998), [[Biography Channel]], narrated by [[Peter Graves]]<ref>{{cite web|title={{-'}}Biography' Greta Garbo: The Mysterious Lady|publisher=Internet Movie Database|url=https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0411067/combined|access-date=6 August 2011|archive-date=4 September 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150904070826/http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0411067/combined|url-status=live}}</ref>
* ''Greta Garbo: A Lone Star'' (2001), [[AMC (TV channel)|AMC]]<ref>{{Cite news |title='Garbo' Paints a Full Portrait of Star |newspaper=[[Los Angeles Times]] |date=4 September 2011 |first=Steven |last=Linan |url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2001-sep-04-ca-41799-story.html |access-date=16 August 2011 |archive-date=15 July 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120715040211/http://articles.latimes.com/2001/sep/04/entertainment/ca-41799 |url-status=live }}</ref>
* ''Garbo'' (2005), [[Turner Classic Movies|TCM]], directed by [[Kevin Brownlow]], narrated by [[Julie Christie]]<ref>{{cite news |title=TCM offers close-up of silent star Garbo |date=6 September 2005 |agency=Associated Press |url=http://archive.boston.com/ae/tv/articles/2005/09/06/tcm_offers_close_upof_silent_star_garbo/ |access-date=8 January 2012 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120728122208/http://articles.boston.com/2005-09-06/ae/29221217_1_kevin-brownlow-greta-garbo-mysterious-star |archive-date=28 July 2012}}</ref>
* ''Garbo: Where Did You Go?'' (2024), written by [[Lorna Tucker]]<ref name="SF/garbo-go">{{cite web |title=garbo-where-did-you-go |url=https://www.swedishfilm.com/en/movies/g/garbo-where-did-you-go/ |website=swedishfilm.com |access-date=15 May 2025}}</ref>

=== In art and literature ===
{{Multiple image
| image1            = Greta Garbo Memorial 2006-04-11.jpg
| alt1              = Drawing of Garbo in a city street
| caption1          = Greta Garbo Memorial by Tomas Qvarsebo in Stockholm
| image2            = Greta Garbo, Södermalm.JPG
| alt2              = Bronze bust of Garbo
| caption2          = Sculpture of Garbo in Stockholm
| image3            = A374, Greta Garbo star, Hollywood Walk of Fame, California, USA, 1991.JPG
| alt3              = Star shaped tile with Greta Garbo's name
| caption3          = Garbo's star on the [[Hollywood Walk of Fame]]
| image4            = Stamps of Romania, 2005-004.jpg
| alt4              = Postage stamp with a portrait of Garbo
| caption4          = Garbo on a 2005 Romanian postal stamp
| total_width       = 320
| perrow            = 2
}}
Garbo has been memorialized in art and literature both during and after her life. Garbo was one of the subjects of French composer [[Charles Koechlin]]'s "Seven Stars Symphony" (1933), which consisted of seven [[Movement (music)|movements]], each dedicated to a Hollywood star.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2022-07-16 |title=A fabulous, forgotten French symphony pays tribute to Hollywood stars of yesteryear |url=https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/newsletter/2022-07-16/essential-arts-7-16-2022-essential-arts |access-date=2022-08-27 |website=Los Angeles Times |language=en-US |archive-date=27 August 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220827224719/https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/newsletter/2022-07-16/essential-arts-7-16-2022-essential-arts |url-status=live }}</ref>

Author [[Ernest Hemingway]] provided an imaginary portrayal of Garbo in his novel ''[[For Whom the Bell Tolls]]'' (1940): "Maybe it is like the dreams you have when someone you have seen in the cinema comes to your bed at night and is so kind and lovely&nbsp;... He could remember Garbo still&nbsp;... Maybe it was like those dreams the night before the attack on [[Pozoblanco]], and [Garbo] was wearing a soft silky wool sweater when he put his arms around her, and when she leaned forward, and her hair swept forward and over his face, and she said why had he never told her that he loved her when she had loved him all this time? ... and it was as true as though it had happened&nbsp;..."<ref>Sarris, 1998. p. 374</ref>

Garbo was portrayed by [[Betty Comden]] in the film ''[[Garbo Talks]]'' (1984). The plot concerns a dying Garbo fan ([[Anne Bancroft]]) whose last wish is to meet her idol. Her son (played by [[Ron Silver]]) diligently searches for the elusive Garbo, determined to fulfill his mother's wish.

A statue of Greta Garbo titled "Statue of Integrity" by Jón Leifsson sits isolated deep in the forest in [[Härjedalen]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.statueofintegrity.se/ |language=Swedish |title=The Statue of Integrity: In Memory of Greta Garbo |work=The Statue of Integrity (official site) |publisher=Fotografiska |accessdate=August 14, 2021 |archive-date=1 August 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210801103403/http://statueofintegrity.se/ |url-status=dead }} {{cite web |url=https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/statue-of-integrity |title=Greta Garbo Statue of Integrity |author=hrnick |work=Atlas Obscura |accessdate=August 14, 2021 |archive-date=14 August 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210814150825/https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/statue-of-integrity |url-status=live }}</ref>

The Cole Porter song "[[You're the Top]]" makes a passing reference to the importance of her salary. Garbo is mentioned in [[The Kinks]]' 1972 song "[[Celluloid Heroes]]" and the 1977 song "[[Right Before Your Eyes]]" by [[Ian Thomas (Canadian musician)|Ian Thomas]], which was covered by [[America (band)|America]] in 1982. Greta Garbo is mentioned in the 1981 [[Kim Carnes]] hit song "[[Bette Davis Eyes]]" and she was the subject of the 1985 [[Freddie Mercury]] song, "[[Living On My Own]]". The 1988 song, "Garbo" by Austrian musician [[Falco (musician)|Falco]] serves as a tribute in the form of a love song. In the 1990 song "[[Vogue (Madonna song)|Vogue]]" by [[Madonna]], Greta Garbo is the first mentioned of a list of stars from Hollywood's [[Classical Hollywood cinema|Golden Age]].

In 2023, notable artist [[William Kentridge]] included a drawing of Garbo in his solo museum exhibition at [[The Broad]] in [[Los Angeles]].<ref>{{Cite web |last=Amadour |date=2022-12-07 |title=15 Minutes With Visionary Artist William Kentridge |url=https://lamag.com/art/with-a-show-at-the-broad-artist-william-kentridge-talks-hollywood |access-date=2023-12-31 |website=LAmag - Culture, Food, Fashion, News & Los Angeles |language=en |archive-date=31 December 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231231213853/https://lamag.com/art/with-a-show-at-the-broad-artist-william-kentridge-talks-hollywood |url-status=live }}</ref>

Pornographic film director [[Peter de Rome]] shot footage of Garbo walking across [[First Avenue (Manhattan)|First Avenue]] that he inserted into his 1974 feature ''[[Adam & Yves]].'' Its presence was explained by having one of the characters recalling how he once saw the elusive star.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.chicagofreepress.com/node/1312|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080429193356/http://www.chicagofreepress.com/node/1312|title=Porn Stop - Chicago Free Press|archive-date=29 April 2008|work=chicagofreepress.com|url-status=usurped|access-date=4 January 2016}}</ref><ref name=DeRome1984>{{citation |last=De Rome |first=Peter |year=1984 |title=The erotic world of Peter de Rome |publisher=GMP |isbn=978-0-907040-46-0 |url-access=registration |url=https://archive.org/details/eroticworldofpet00dero }}</ref>  The Garbo footage was used without the star's knowledge or permission, and she was not paid for her appearance.<ref>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=4PnEvNC_F9oC&q=adam+yves+garbo&pg=PA88 |title=Film Facts|access-date=4 January 2016|isbn=9780823079438|last1=Robertson|first1=Patrick|year=2001|publisher=Billboard Books }}</ref>